Eggnog Bread with Rum Glaze

Every holiday season, I crave exactly one glass of eggnog. Eggnog Bread, however, I can happily devour right on through Valentine’s Day without ever growing tired of its warm spice and buttery softness.

Eggnog, in theory, is the ideal holiday drink. It’s delightfully spiced with nutmeg, unquestionably indulgent, and so thick and creamy, it practically demands to be thinned out with bourbon or rum.

Although I adore eggnog’s yuletide flavor and so-naughty-its-nice decadence, one cup is about all I can handle, two if it’s been sufficiently “thinned.”

Eggnog Bread, is a completely different tale. It offers the characteristic nutmeg and vanilla flavors of traditional eggnog, without the cloying sweetness or near-molasses consistency that, in my opinion, makes eggnog difficult to drink.

In fact, this Eggnog Bread so pleasing to nibble, I ended up designating a permanent “Eggnog Bread Knife” to store with the loaf, because I was cutting off slices so often, we ran out of clean knives.

The Eggnog Bread’s buttery, tender texture is reminiscent of a pound cake, but I chose to keep the title Eggnog Bread so that we could feel virtuous eating it for breakfast. To further the breakfast cause, I made Eggnog Bread less sweet than a typical dessert. I also used half white whole wheat flour, which offers the same benefits as regular wheat flour, but with a much lighter, milder taste that is imperceptible in most baked goods. Really, this recipe for Eggnog Bread was well on its way sainthood.

Then, I spiked it. Oops.

After all, if we can’t excuse a little rum in our breakfast at the holidays, when can we? I added a few tablespoons of rum to the batter, then splashed a bit more into a creamy eggnog glaze that I drizzled over the top. Feel free to swap bourbon or brandy for the rum if you prefer, or simply use additional eggnog if you’d like to keep the Eggnog Bread booze-free.

Eggnog Bread keeps well at room temperature for up to four days, making it an excellent make-ahead treat to keep on hand for hungry holiday houseguests or to serve on Christmas morning.

I enjoyed my Eggnog Bread most with a cup of mid-afternoon coffee or tea, and I suspect that devoted “noggers” would love it paired it with a glass of actual eggnog for the full effect.

I have yet to test this Eggnog Bread + glass of eggnog combo, but I plan to do so as soon as I find a glass of eggnog that’s been properly “thinned.”

For the Glaze:

1/2cuppowdered sugar— (4 ounces)

1 1/2tablespoonsrum,— brandy, or bourbon (whichever you used in the loaf) or eggnog

Instructions

Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 8x4-inch loaf pan, then line it with parchment paper so that some of the paper hangs out the sides like handles. Lightly grease the pan once more, then set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, add one-third of the flour mixture, then half of the eggnog and all of the rum, the next one-third of the flour mixture, the remaining half of the eggnog, then the final one-third of the flour. Fully incorporate the ingredients between additions before adding the next. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake the eggnog bread until pale golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan by lifting with the parchment handles. Place on a cooling rack.

When the loaf is mostly cooled but still warm to the touch, whisk together the glaze ingredients (powdered sugar and rum/brandy/bourbon or eggnog) in a small bowl. Drizzle the glaze over the loaf, then allow the loaf to stand until the glaze is set and dry. Slice and serve.

Recipe Notes

Leftover eggnog bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

oh my goodness, this looks so good Erin! I’ve never heard of eggnog bread before! Definitely going to try it! Totally agree with you on the 1 glass of eggnog, it’s definitely not something I want to drink a lot of, but just a little bit during the holidays is necessary for sure!